Coming off an Australian tour that boasted 145 sell-out shows, the children’s entertainment group, The Wiggles, will return to the U.S. this fall for their Rock & Roll Preschool tour. The Wiggles will be touring in support of their brand new CD and DVD, Rock & Roll Preschool, as well as a new season of their TV series, which airs on Hulu in the U.S. and on Treehouse in Canada.

The 24-hour preschool TV destination Sprout has its own kids’ tablet, the Sprout Channel Cubby, which will be available this October at Wal-Mart stores and at walmart.com. Produced by Ematic for kids ages 2 to 6, the Cubby features trusted entertainment and learning content preloaded onto the tablet, and will include special credits for vudu.com, allowing customers to download additional content.

The No. 1 children’s entertainment group, The Wiggles, will bring their preschool pop back to North America with the Ready, Steady, Wiggle tour. This fall, the quartet will delight families across the country in support of a new CD and DVD, Apples and Bananas, which will be available August 26, as well as a new season of their hit television show airing on Sprout in the U.S. and Treehouse in Canada.

Founding member Anthony Field (aka Blue Wiggle), along with Emma Watkins (Yellow Wiggle), Simon Pryce (Red Wiggle), and Lachlan Gillespie (Purple Wiggle) will be joined on stage by Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, and Henry the Octopus.

A complete list of tour dates and ticket information for the Ready, Steady, Wiggle! tour can be found at www.thewiggles.com.

A new toy line from Wicked Cool Toys based on the children’s entertainment group, The Wiggles, will be debuting exclusively at Toys “R” Us stores and online at Toysrus.com. The release coincides with the group’s North American “Taking Off!” concert tour.

The toy line includes plush, cars, and musical instruments. The Wiggles—Anthony, Emma, Lachy, and Simon—appear in the Ready, Steady Wiggle! TV series on Sprout as well as CDs and DVDs, and have performed live in concerts across the globe. The toys are aimed at Wiggles fans ages 2 to 6.

The musical instruments, all of which play Wiggles songs, include the Wiggles Wiggly Microphone, the six-piece Wiggles Drum Set, the Wiggles Musical Guitar, and the Wiggles Musical Keyboard. Meanwhile, Wiggles fans can go for a ride with the Wiggly Steering Wheel, Big Red Car Keys, and the Bump ‘N Go Big Red Car, which also play music.

The line also includes 10-inch Wiggly Friends Plush and the Wiggles 4-Pack Figure Set, which includes Simon, Anthony, Emma, and Lachy.

After 21 years of entertaining children around the world, The Wiggles will head out on their “Taking Off” family concert world tour this summer.

The Wiggles are an entertaining group of people and characters, including the blue, red, yellow, and purple Wiggle, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, and Henry the Octopus. For decades fans have been dancing and singing along to favorite songs, such as “Hot Potato” and “Rock-a-Bye Your Bear.”

The new CD includes songs such as “Do the Propeller!,” “Peanut Butter,” “Little Bunny Foo Foo,” and “Emma (with the Bow in Her Hair),” along with some re-worked classics, such as “Get Ready to Wiggle” and “The Shimmie Shake!”

The Wiggles are in the U.S. and Canada for a media tour now through May 16, and will be meeting thousands of fans around North America. Their North American tour kicks off mid-August and runs through October.

In January, The Wiggle’s founder Blue Wiggle Anthony Field will be joined by Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, and the first-ever female Wiggle, Emma Watkins, who have been handpicked by the group to don the brand’s signature jerseys. The new Wiggles’ personalities will bring fresh traits to the red, yellow, and purple shirts while continuing to build their widely recognized edu-tainment platform and deliver quality children’s music to families.

There is much excitement surrounding the new lineup, most notably the inception of Emma as the new Yellow Wiggle. Young girls who have been following the band will now have a real role model of their own. Aside from her personality and singing, dancing, and acting abilities, Emma has a knowledge of sign language, plays drums and percussion instruments, races rally cars, and has a Master’s in Media Arts and Communication. Lachy and Simon will also have a strong presence within the dynamic of group. The purple and red jerseys will now incorporate extensions of these new personalities, including Lachy’s love for playing the piano and Simon’s opera-inspired vocals.

Emma, Lachy, and Simon have already been warmly welcomed by fans while performing with Anthony, Greg, Murray, and Jeff on the band’s worldwide Celebration Tour, which wraps up in Australia this December. The response they have received thus far from their immense and loyal fan base proves that the brand will only continue to grow as it evolves, opening many doors for new opportunities.

This post was originally written by Ali Mierzejewski and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

The Wiggles is taking viewers around the globe with their first DVD in seven years, It’s Always Christmas With You, from NCircle Entertainment. The DVD includes 14 original songs and seasonal favorites, including celebrity appearances. Traveling across three continents, The Wiggles discover the ways different cultures celebrate the holidays.

Beginning in New York City, The Wiggles team up with ‘N Sync’s Joey Fatone to perform a rendition of “O Holy Night.” Viewers are also given a peek at what Christmas is like in the Fatone household.

Traveling to Ireland, The Wiggles show viewers the country’s beautiful past and present as they join up with the Irish artists Anúna to perform “The Cherry Tree Carol,” a song dating back to the 15th century. The breathtaking Wicklow Mountains serve as a backdrop.

Ending in their home country, Australia, The Wiggles perform their original new song “It’s a Long Way from the North Pole,” reminding viewers that in “the outback,” families don’t see snow for Christmas.

It’s Always Christmas With You, priced at $9.99, is available now at select stores and online, and will be available at major retail locations November 29.

This March, The Wiggles will launch its own line of Original Lovies, available exclusively through Komet Creations. Original Lovies are security plush toys that can become a sleepy-time friend. Each Original Lovie is made from soft, huggable fabric and has a satin trim that can be personalized.

This year marks the 20th anniversaries of both The Wiggles and The Original Lovie Security Blanket, and to celebrate two of The Wiggles most popular characters, Dorothy the Dinosaur and Wags the Dog, will have Original Lovies created in their honor.

The new Original Lovies will be available for a sneak preview at this year’s TIA Toy Fairat Booth No. 5656.

Brandberry has been picked as The Wiggles’ new licensing agent in North America. Brandberry will handle all licensing categories for the children’s entertainment group.

The Wiggles are featured on Sprout, as well as on the virtual world Wiggletime.com, and the group’s website, TheWiggles.com. Each year, The Wiggles release two new DVDs and CDs, embark on two North American concert tours that visit more than 70 cities, and are featured in Six Flags Theme Parks with five Wiggles World theme areas.

New Products

Marvel’s Ant-Man is still going strong in theaters, and so is Disney Consumer Products’ (DCP) and Marvel‘s Ant-Man product collection. The lineup includes costumes, construction sets, action figures, and more from licensees such as Hasbro, LEGO, Funko, Hot Wheels, Rubie’s Costume Co., and Uncle Milton.

Skechers USA Inc. has partnered with Jakks Pacific Inc. to launch a new line of dolls based on Skechers’ popular Twinkle Toes character. The initial launch includes four unique dolls that stand 6.5 inches in height, and are dressed in colorful, fashion-forward outfits and light-up Skechers Twinkle Toes shoes.

LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. will release three new preschool toys—the Number Lovin’ Oven and Scout’s Build & Discover Tool Set, which offer pretend play experiences that teach math and measurement, respectively—and the Word Whammer, a phonics game that prepares children for kindergarten in an active way.

Now available from VTech, Flipsies combine traditional role play with collectible dolls and accessories, as well as VTech’s proprietary MagicPoint interactive technology. The line offers a variety of ways to play and has eight introductory themes that encourage girls to be anything they want to be, whether it’s a doctor, a marine biologist, a teacher, [...]

Merchantwise, ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s appointed licensing agency in Australia, has announced strong toy and DVD sales, as well as a host of new licensing and retail partners, for the TV series Thunderbirds Are Go in Australia.